A MATTER OF TRUST
by foxdvd
Summary: And for the first time in months, he felt truly alive. NickSofia. Rated M for sexual situations in Ch. 3.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Howdy. I've been around for a whilst, but this is my first CSI fic. Please let me know if you think I should try this more often. I don't beta my stories, and English is not my native tongue, so all mistakes are solely mine. Since I live outside the US, I haven't been able to watch all eps, or watch the correct chronology, so I might have taken some liberties with the timeline.

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When the smoke bomb went off, all he could think of was her. Was she okay? Had she gotten away? So he went back inside looking for her, calling out her name, until his eyes stung too badly for him to keep them open, until his voice went hoarse and his throat felt as though he had swallowed the fire of a thousand homes. And he would have kept on searching for her until he had passed out if the firefighters hadn't dragged him out of the building. And he'd probably had gone right back in if the EMTs hadn't strapped him to a gurney and slapped an oxygen mask on him.

Fortunately for his state of mind the last thing he saw was her hair shining in the dying sunbeams, and the last thing he heard was her voice demanding to know if he was going to be okay. Only then did he surrender to the welcoming darkness.

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Gil Grissom was trying very hard no to loose his patience any more, so he wouldn't start sighing loudly enough for the nurse at the station to hear him. She was taking forever and a day to get the discharge paperwork completed and yet, a tiny part of him was thankful for the delay. As much as he knew he had to do this, he was in no way in a hurry to face the young CSI waiting to be released from the hospital after serious smoke inhalation, so serious, in fact, he had scarred his larynx.

And for what? No matter how Grissom looked at the evidence, it just didn't add enough as to explain why a serious trained professional like Nick Stokes would do something as foolish as go back to an already cleared building after a smoke bomb had gone off. Grissom suspected, and he dreaded the suspicion, that the young man had finally snapped under pressure. No matter how many "I'm fines" Nick threw his way, Grissom knew the Texan was nowhere near "fine". Far from it, actually. No one went through a near-death experience and bounced back to keep on going as if nothing had happened and it was all in a day's work.

But Grissom couldn't force Nick to open up about the whole thing anymore than he could force himself to admit to his own demons. He had no problem dealing with hard evidence, no matter how unsettling it might be, but feelings… feelings were an entirely different matter and they had always made the scientist uncomfortable. And yet, Grissom knew, no matter how uneasy the topic made him feel, he'd have to deal with this head on or Ecklie would have a field day chewing off both their asses. Neither activity ranked high in Grissom's list of favourite things to do, but given the options, he'd much rather discuss Nick's state of mind with Nick, thank you very much.

The nurse handed him the paperwork to sign, and he quickly did so. And with the release document in hand, he headed for Nick's room, mentally bracing himself for what was about to come.

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"If it had been Sara, wouldn't you have done the same?"

Grissom looked at the young man in front of him and felt a mix of sorrow and tenderness. He was absolutely sure the performance report he'd have to fill did not include "Crazy in Love" as a valid explanation for reproachable behaviour and yet he knew exactly where Nick was coming from. Now that he had the whole background, Grissom could not, in all honesty, claim he would have acted differently had he been in Nick's place; but he couldn't admit to it, either.

"We're not talking about me here, Nicky," he answered softly, knowing darn well it wasn't an answer at all.

"It's just… I don't know Grissom… I mean, how stupid can I get? I feel like I'm starting to unravel all over the place and I can't do anything about it and she's the only thing that's keeping me safe. But do I tell her? No." The young man smiled a mirthless grin. "Guess it's official now. I'm royally fucked up. Christ, I could use a stiff drink now. A double would be even better…"

Grissom was now officially worried. It wasn't exactly what Nick had said, but more like HOW he had said it. The Texan was not one to swear easily, nor was he, as far as Grissom knew, in the habit of indulging in alcohol to "solve" his problems. Granted, he had also never let personal issues affect his performance before, either, and the entomologist wasn't sure he, or the lab, were prepared to deal with a Nick Stokes in love. In UNREQUITTED love, to make matters even worse.

A noise at the door had both men looking up. Standing in the doorway, was the source and solution of the whole issue and Grissom couldn't help but marvel at the change that operated in the younger man as soon as he saw his beloved. For a mere fraction of a second, Grissom pondered if his face gave his own feelings away so easily whenever he saw Sara, and then went back to the scene unraveling before him.

The young couple stood there, just watching each other, for what seemed like an eternity. She finally dropped her eyes and flashed a weak smile towards Grissom before mumbling something neither of them quite caught. She realized her fumble and was hasty to repeat herself: "I came to see if you needed a ride home. Warrick told me he had driven your truck back to your place after you were admitted so… uhh…. I thought that maybe…."

Grissom might have not been all that adept when it came to feelings, but he recognized a cue to leave left stage when he saw one, so he jumped at the chance to make a quick disappearing act without being too conspicuous.

"That's a great idea. I need to go back to the lab and I don't want Nick anywhere near active duty for a couple more days, so you're more than welcome to take him home. Nick. Sofia…"

And with that, he was gone; swiftly forgotten by those left behind. Not that he would have cared, had he known.

"Uhm… shall we…?"

The question was never asked, not entirely. Before he could start thinking clearly, before he would start second guessing himself, Nick took two steps forward, grabbed hold of her neck and pulled her close for a kiss.

He wanted to be gentle. He wanted the kiss to be a whole palette of soft, caring emotions. He had envisioned their first kiss as a mere whisper of his lips on hers, allowing her to set the degree of intensity, the pace, the speed; him, always the gentleman, taking his cues from her reactions. Heck, he took pride on being a gentleman!

But all dreams and considerations apart, truth was, Nick Stokes was not prepared for the shock of reality. It hit him at gut level, it got underneath his skin, it made his blood boil and his desire flare and he knew right there and then that he wouldn't be able to stop until he was deeply buried inside her, naked skin on naked skin; her voice hoarse with passion ringing in his ears, giving his name a religious edge as she whispered it over and over again…

And for the first time in months, Nick felt truly alive.

She tasted of coffee and mint and Chap Stick that tasted, for lack of a better word, pink, and something that was uniquely Sofia that he just couldn't find words to describe and he just couldn't get enough of, either, so he raised his other hand to grab her head and deepened the kiss even more.

Sofia had surrendered to the kiss in an almost complete manner. Her hands had been at her sides for perhaps 4 seconds before they reached up and set residence on his waist. She had dared dreamed about his mouth before, fantasized, to be more precise, but not even in her wildest visions had she imagined it would be so… searing? Seamless? Soulful? Either way, it didn't matter much then, as she was, for all practical matters, speechless, totally and utterly lost in the sensation of that mouth, those lips, those teeth…

Inasmuch as he would have loved to remain an eternity locked to her mouth, Nick broke the kiss up after a few moments. His hands still at the sides of her face, his forehead resting against hers, both breathings labored, both hearts pounding, both fearing to talk, but ending up talking at the same time, in a rush of words and emotions:

"Do you have any idea…"

"How long I've wanted to do this?"

"How scared I was when I saw you on that gurney?"

"I thought you were still inside the building."

"I thought I had lost you…"

"I wanted to let you know…."

"I want to…"

"I need you…"

"Sofia…" His voice was hushed, slightly overcome by emotion and it seemed to caress her whole body and soul, making her shiver. "I so need to kiss you again…" A soft kiss on her right eyelid. "And again…" Kiss to the left eyelid. "And again…" Another kiss, this time to the tip of her nose. "But I'm certain I won't be able to stop, for once I start I want to kiss every inch of you…"

This time around, it was him who was interrupted by a kiss, both fierce and gentle. This time around, her hands weren't idle, but rather, quite active participants, running all over his chest and back up to his face. This time around, he forwent gentleness and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush against him. Under normal circumstances, he would angle his body slightly to avoid lower body direct contact, but this time around, he didn't. Instead, he slid his right arm below her hip line and firmly pushed her into his straining erection. He wanted Sofia to know exactly how she made him feel, and his efforts were rewarded by her moaning deeply against his mouth.

"Either you take me home right now, or you get to explain to Grissom AND Brass why the hospital slapped us with an indecent exposure lawsuit…"

Without letting go of her waist, he grabbed his overnight bag in the other hand, and led the blond woman out of the hospital and into the parking lot.

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**A/N: ** Should I leave this here, or should I take it with them back to Nick's place? I'll aim to please the majority…


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: ** By an astounding majority, all 4 of my reviewers agreed I should continue this and take it… err… to the next level. Grateful that I am of your kind words, so shall it be.

**A/N2: ** Given that I belong to an era where dinosaurs roamed free and condoms were used only to prevent unwanted pregnancies, I do not incorporate the use of them into my writing, as I lack first-hand knowledge in condom etiquette. And since I write about 2 FICTIONAL consenting ADULTS engaging in sexual activities, that's all right. You, however, are a real adult. Be a smart one, use protection! Thank you. I'll step from my soapbox and continue with the story…

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Nick held on to her waist all the way up to her car, where he was forced to release her in order to open the trunk and throw his overnight back inside, closing the lid afterwards. He had noticed they had walked in companionable silence, enjoying the closeness without need for words. But now that they had separated, the silence grew pregnant with unasked questions and harbouring doubts. Sofia kept playing with the car keys, unsure as to what to do next. Sure, they had kissed… oh, my, had they! But now…

"Maybe you should keep the bag in the back seat…"

Her sentence went unfinished. She didn't know exactly how to end it. How had things gotten so complicated? Stating that the bag in the back would make it easier for him to get out of the car and avoid the awkward "should I or shouldn't I ask her in" dance and song, might not be well received. In fact, Sofia was almost certain that Nick wouldn't understand it at all. He'd probably think she was pissed off at him for having kissed her and that was the farthest from the truth he'd ever be. If Sofia were to be honest with him (and her, as well) that Texan charm of his had gotten under her skin and she couldn't shake the memory of his voice and his smile late at night whilst she lay alone in her bed. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she had been dreaming of that kiss for months, and now she was yearning for an encore.

But what if Nick didn't feel the same way? What if he was regretting his actions, no doubt fueled by the influence of drugs? As much as Sofia was a romantic soul underneath the tough exterior, she wasn't keen on fooling herself. She was well aware that all those so-called "signs" those darned female mags yakked about endlessly could very well be only in her mind. So what if he smiled warmly at her? He smiled to Sara and Cat in the same fashion. So what if his hand lingered on her lower back for a second or two? The man has been brought a gentleman, and as such, he'd be sure to guide her and protect her. So what if her whole skin burned with his touch? It was her skin who had a problem; it didn't necessarily mean his fingers were creating the fire on purpose. So what if he favoured standing with his hands jammed in his jeans pockets? The magazines were right, it did emphasize his…err… package. Emphasize with capital letters and underlined in bold, to make matters even worse. Emphasize enough to make any sane woman wonder. And wonder she had, more than once, whilst pleasing herself in the tub.

Nick couldn't really "hear" all that train of thought whilst she juggled the keys, but he was fairly certain where the train was headed. If Sofia wanted the bag in the back was because she didn't want to stop at his place. And that could only mean she was embarrassed by the whole thing. It could also mean she was revolted by the whole thing, but she had yet to slap him, or worse, so he was almost certain it was embarrassment. He could relate to that. Big time. Ever since he stopped considering her one of Ecklie's minions and more like "one of them" ha had been intrigued by her. The accent, the hair, the eyes… those had been the first to attract him and he had given the idea more than a fleeting consideration before deciding against it. "Too complicated" he thought. But then he had seen her anguish after shooting a fellow officer and the warm spot he had for her began growing in size and depth. She didn't really care about her future in the force; she just couldn't stop berating herself for having killed an innocent man.

He had longed to hold her in his arms and comfort her, but he had sensed she didn't want to be comforted, so he left her alone. He respected her for it, actually. For as much as a gentleman he was, he was also a Texan, and he liked his women strong, pretty much like his mom and his grandma back home. Women who could take care of themselves just fine, thank you very much. No matter how beautiful a woman was, he couldn't suffer fools, or, God forbid, vain hollow dolls. Even in his one night stands, he had run away from those types, and the only time he hadn't, the only time where his protective nature got the best of him, well… he'd rather not go there just then.

So there they were, fidgeting like a couple of teens on their first date ever, neither one looking up or speaking out. What happened next took them both by surprise, and, had he been asked, Nick would have been willing to swear under oath that he hadn't planned it. It just happened.

Nick raised his left hand in an attempt to squeeze her shoulder, a friendly, non-committal gesture and reached out with his right one to grab the keys. His hands, however, missed their intended marks completely. The left one slid from her shoulder to her neck; the other one went to her hip. Before he even knew what he was doing, his thumb began caressing her cheek. Nick never knew if it was her gasp-like moan upon his touch, the closing of her eyes or the way her lips parted, but it took him less than a second to reclaim those lips with his own once more. His left hand got hold of her head, tangling with her hair, angling her so he could deepen the kiss, whilst the other one snaked around her waist, pulling her flush against him, holding her tight, relishing the feel of her curves against his own frame.

Sofia berated herself for a fraction of a second. How could she be so weak? She was trembling before he even touched her, burning before he even caressed her, and surrendering before he even kissed her. The moment his lips closed down on hers, she knew she was a goner, and she wasn't going to fight it. If Nick Stokes wanted to fuck her right then and there, against her car, in broad daylight, she would let him. Heck, she'd help him! She only prayed that his voice of reason was stronger than hers and managed to get them, at least, inside the car.

He was no stranger to desire, but he hadn't felt it with this searing intensity in a long time. His mind fleetingly remembered Tracy, his high school sweetheart, not his first lay but definitively his first love. Kissing Sofia reminded him of kissing Tracy, and he archived that thought in the "Later" file in his brain. He was sure he was going to spend many a night pondering about why the feelings were so close, but for now, all he wanted was to get lost in the feeling of Sofia's skin under his fingers, Sofia's hair tangled in his hand, Sofia's mouth opening under his, Sofia's soft body pressed underneath him… The mere thought of it was enough to cause his cock to jump into attention and he fought hard to resist the urge of rubbing himself against her, of letting her know what she did to him.

"Sofia…"

"Yes."

"Are you…?"

"Yes!"

Sofia half expected to feel his hands all over her body, to feel his mouth on her neck, to feel buttons being unbuttoned, zippers being unzipped, hooks being unhooked. Instead, all she felt was the unexpected coldness left by Nick taking a step back. "What the..?" she thought, totally lost as to what had happened. Next thing she knew, Nick had opened the door to the back seat.

"Sofia… I… I want this… I want this badly. But not in a parking lot, at least not the first time", his playful smile conveyed the double entendre loud and clear. "So please, get in the back seat. I can't be held responsible if we crash on the way home if you're sitting next to me."

They looked at each other and smiled, shyly. Sofia did as asked and slid in the back seat, careful to position herself where he wouldn't be able to see her in the rearview mirror. Nick got in the driver's seat and it wasn't long before they were headed to her place.

"I thought we were going to your house", she said, conversationally.

"Yours is closer. Besides, if someone has to do the walk of shame tomorrow morning, I'd much rather it were me."

"Always the gentleman", she thought. "Mayhaps so, but gentlemen don't make you go weak at the knees with one kiss" the little voice inside her head reminded her. "Gentlemen don't make you throw caution to the wind." Sofia thought that her inner voice reminded her of her mother. She smiled at the thought. She could hear her mother just fine: "Sofia Ann Elizabeth! A lady does not give in to passion in public places!" Maybe her mother had tried to raise her a lady, but she was sure her mother had never expected she'd have to reckon with a force such as Nick Stokes.

The rest of the ride was done in silence. Each of them kept their thoughts to themselves, afraid to unbalance the ambiance their kisses had created. Each one was afraid to let their doubts take the shape of a question asked out loud. Did they want this? Yes. They both had actually dreamt about this encounter tenths of times. Has either of them considered what would happen after the deed? No, they hadn't, and there laid the whole crux of the matter. If they questioned things too much they'd probably part at the door with a friendly handshake and be done with it.

Once they got to Sofia's house, Nick turned off the ignition and turned around in the seat to face her.

"I'm not good at talking so I'll say my piece once. I've been intrigued by you for a long time. Yesterday, when I thought you were in danger, all I could think of was that I was an idiot for never telling you. I promised myself, whilst trapped inside that coffin, that I would never allow myself to waste one more day without letting the people I care about know about it. I care about you, a lot. More than I dare to admit to myself. And I physically crave you, only God knows why, but I'm certain that if I don't get to kiss you on a regular basis I'm going to be a very unhappy man. I'm not asking for anything. All I want to know is if you feel the same. If you do, we will find a way to make this work out. If you don't… then I guess I'll just thank you for the memory and I'll be going my way…"

Sofia looked at him, seemingly pondering her response. The look in his eyes was priceless: the raw emotion, the desire, the hope… everything she wanted to know was there for the taking if she would allow herself to run that risk.

"Would you like some lunch? I can make a mean omelette…."

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**A/N: ** Consider this foreplay… we all love foreplay, don't we? Next ep we'll come to more.. in-depth… matters.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: ** My deepest apologies for taking so long. Real life simply does not like to take backseat to writing fiction!

**A/N2: ** This chapter is rated a strong M, as it depicts sexual acts between two ADULT consenting FICTIONAL characters. Notice I mentioned _Adult _(as in, they better know what they're doing) and _Fictional_ (as in, nothing happens if they don't wear condoms). If you're not ADULT, then you have no business either having sex or reading this. If you're not FICTIONAL, then take care of yourself: practice safe sex.

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They walked to the little duplex bungalow she called home in companionable silence. Nick had decided to leave his overnight bag in the car, not wanting her to think he was already making assumptions after his big speech moments ago.

His CSI nature took notice as they entered her place: clean, with that unlived-in aura that many cops' apartments had. Although almost Spartan in its lack of furniture, it was certainly eclectic in its decoration, and Nick couldn't help but smile at the old raggedy teddy bear that sat next to an afghan on the sofa placed in front of the TV set.

Sofia guided them into the kitchen and he continued his inspection: L-shaped counter, clean to the point of sterile, but well equipped when it came to gadgets that made life so much easier.

"What do I do?" he asked, wanting to be helpful.

"Uh… why don't you start with the oranges to make juice whilst I change?" She nodded towards a basket filled with oranges and disappeared towards the end of the flat.

He chose 8 oranges and quickly washed them in the sink. The second drawer he opened revealed a cutting board and quickly selected a knife from the block, slicing them in halves. A quick guess at the gingham covered appliances led to the juicer and he was just plugging it in when Sofia came back from her bedroom.

She had changed into sweats and an old academy t-shirt, had pulled her hair into a high ponytail, as opposed to the low ones she favoured whilst working. Nick couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he saw that she was wearing flip-flops. Not that flip-flops were an odd choice, it was rather the fact that her toenails were painted bright yellow, with smiley decals on the big toes, that made him smirk. Her pedicure was so different form her manicure, which she kept short and without any sort of polish, that he couldn't help but wonder what other differences were there between Det. Curtis and happy-face-toenails Sofia.

She looked at Nick as if daring him to say anything. He just shook his head and finished squeezing the rest of the oranges, pouring the resulting juice in the pitcher she had placed on the counter next to him. He placed the pitcher on the kitchen table and went to the sink to clean up what he'd used.

In the meantime, Sofia had gotten busy at the fridge and pantry and was now chopping and dicing with Japanese chef like speed. Nick watched in awe and decided he'd better not get in the way.

"Shall I set the table?" he asked, not wanting to feel useless.

"Lower second door next to the sink", she directed, engrossed as she was in stir frying on a pan and seemingly whisking eggs in a bowl at the same time. "Coffee machine is set on auto, but you can check it as well."

Nick made a quick job of setting the table for two, coffee mugs included, whilst she finished cooking a couple of fluffy looking omelettes filled with all sort of goodies, with a side dish of stir-fried veggies. She even managed to come up with some heated rolls and, after the first bite, Nick finally understood why common wisdom advised girls to get to their men through their stomach. Granted, if all of Sofia's cooking was like this, he'd probably gain 10 pounds in less than two months. By the time he was mid-meal he was already considering asking her to move in with him…

They had spent lunch talking about food, and recipes, and sensory memories triggered by certain food smells. Sofia learned he liked his mashed potatoes with heaping amounts of butter… the real thing, cholesterol be damned. Nick found out she retained a weakness for scones and tea with milk, a childhood favourite of her days living with her dad, in England.

After their meal, Sofia gathered the dirty dishes and headed for the sink. Nick picked up whatever was left on the table and placed it on the counter. Sofia was at the sink, washing the dishes, and Nick stepped up behind her, placing his hands on either side of her.

"Let me help you…" he whispered in her ear, sending goose bumps down her back.

"No…" she hissed, catching her breath.

He began kissing the back of her neck, mentally thanking God for whoever had invented high ponytails. He continued placing soft, lingering kisses all over her neck, and felt a tinge of pride when she stopped doing the dishes and leaned back into his kisses. His hands swiftly grabbed hers, keeping them on the sink's rim, as he stepped closer to her, eliminating what little room there had been between them. Nick continued to kiss her neck, more strongly this time, nipping at her pulse points, as he felt himself grow harder.

Sofia noticed it as well, and began moving her body against him, feeling herself grow wet in response. Damn Nick Stokes and the effect the had on her! She seriously doubted they'd manage to get to her bedroom the way things were going.

Not that she'd mind one bit.

Nick was loving the kissing and the squirming it brought out of her, but he was aching for more. Releasing Sofia's hands, he moved his own softly over her arms, reaching her shoulders. He was rewarded by a sharp intake of her breath, a sound that went directly into his cock. He skimmed his hands down her front, briefly cupping her breasts, and finally settled them on her waist. Not pleased with the feel of cloth between his palms and her skin, he quickly dived below her t-shirt, splaying his hands all over her abdomen, pulling her even closer to him. Sofia had moved her arms up and backwards, and was now caressing his head.

They remained like that for several moments, enjoying the feel of each other's heat and flesh. He was the first to break their stance, as his hands itched to continue their exploration, and, who was he to deny them what they wanted? So he allowed one to go north and the other one to go south. Both hands were delighted to find out that, for all practical matters, Ms. Curtis was naked underneath her clothes. Nick's cock performed a metaphorical summersault at the discovery. Soon afterwards, his left hand was curled around her breast, thumbing her nipple. His right hand was cupping her, his fingers playing with her curls, his thumb circling her clit. His thumbs were making both nubs of flesh harden, thus making Sofia moan and writhe under his hands.

She couldn't remain passive much longer. But his arms had her trapped between the sink and his body, and she was needing more. She yearned to touch him, to taste him, to feel him inside her… Sofia lowered her arms and placed them behind her, fumbling with his zipper, brushing against his cock. She could feel his moan against her neck and continued with her attempts to open up his jeans and slide them down his hips.

Somehow, they both managed to lower the intruding garments without loosing touch. Sofia had managed to keep stroking his cock and Nick's hands were still working her into a frenzy. Something had to give, and soon, and, in the end, it was Sofia who surrendered first into their need for each other.

Still holding unto her breasts, Nick removed his hand from between her legs and caught her wandering hands, forcing her to place them once more on the rim of the sink. Both naked from the waist down, he stepped in closer, close enough to rub his erection against her ass.

She mewled at the sensation and thrust her hips backwards, standing on tip toe, relaying on body language and instinct to convey her message. So what if sex-from-behind-whilst-pushed-against-the-sink wasn't the first choice to come to mind when thinking first-time couplings? She wanted him, as simple as that, and she wanted him five minutes ago.

Fortunately, Nick was good at reading body language, even great when it came to reading sexual signs, and he had no qualms whatsoever in giving her what she wanted… what they wanted. Leaving her breasts for the time being, he hooked an arm around her hips to lift her just high enough as he used his other hand to guide his cock inside her. They both moaned at the feel of him sliding inside her, and they stood motionless for a moment or two, relishing in the feeling of completion that quickly overcame them. This was more than mere sex; this, this was like coming home.

Nick gave a couple of tentative thrusts, and was disappointed to discover that the sink was too high to provide the right angle. So he stood still and, wrapping his arms around her lifted her until their upper bodies were almost touching. Sofia let out an almost guttural moan at the feeling of him sliding even deeper, but her pleasure was short-lived; as erotic as the whole scenario was, it didn't allow much room for thrusting or for body to body contact, and that was frustrating as hell. She allowed herself another moment or two of immobile coupling before trying to get loose from Nick's strong hold.

He noticed her attempts to be released and mentally berated himself, thinking he had hurt her somehow, and quickly let go off her, sliding out of her pussy with deep regret; him inside of her, her surrounding him… those were things he could have gotten used to very quickly. Nick closed his eyes in frustration: what the fuck had he done in a previous life to screw up the present one so badly? Whose idea of a cruel karmic joke was it to allow him to touch heaven for five minutes and then snatch it away? Here he was, thinking he could spend the rest of his life making love to Sofia Curtis, and now he'd consider himself lucky if she ever talked to him again. "She must think I'm some sort of pervert, like the ones we deal with…"

But Sofia surprised him by spinning around and virtually jumping on him, attacking his mouth with hers like there was no tomorrow, and Nick's reflexes barely had time to register and catch the half-naked body of this gorgeous woman who was all over him. Not that he was complaining, but it did take him a second or two to snap out of his previous funk and respond accordingly, all the while thanking whatever gods above had decided to give him a second chance.

Unfortunately, Sofia had managed to remove her sweatpants entirely, whereas Nick's jeans and boxers were still tangled at his ankles. When Sofia jumped into his arms, trying to circle his waist with her legs, he gave one step back and lost his balance, thus forcing him to take another step back. And another. By the time she had realized what was happening and had released him enough to stand on her own, Nick had careened back, landing hard on one of the chairs they had vacated half hour ago.

"Are you okay?" She asked, worriedly.

He nodded and winced at the same time, cursing his somewhat bonny ass and his lousy luck. Still, he acknowledged it could have been worse. He could very well be sitting on the floor… or damaged a certain part of his anatomy that was withering by the seconds.

Sofia surprised him by kneeling in front of him and removing his boots, socks, jeans and boxers with efficiency and putting them aside, next to her own sweatpants. She stood up in front of him, and, grabbing the edge of her t-shirt, removed it as well, throwing it in to the pile of discarded clothing laying next to her on the floor. She shook her head to finish undoing her loosened ponytail and remained still, a sweet, shy smile on her face.

He looked up at her an allowed his eyes to roam over her naked body: her strong legs, her blond curls surrounding her pussy, her womanly hips, her defined waist, her breasts… he remembered the feel of his hands on her breasts and longed to taste them, and the memory and the longing were enough to bring his erection back to life. He looked at her face and licked and bit his lips.

That was all Sofia needed. Taking two steps forward she straddled him on the chair, taking hold of his face with both hands and kissing him passionately. He kissed her back in likewise fashion, his hands roaming all over her body. They broke the kiss long enough for Sofia to grab his shirt and lift it off his frame, throwing it to the side. Her hands were running all over his chest and arms, her lips tracing patterns wherever she could place them on.

Nick's hand made a quick beeline for her pussy. God, he couldn't believe how wet and warm she was! When he withdrew his hand, it was covered in her juices, and her first instinct was to suck on them. But he had a better idea on second thought and he used her own wetness to moisturize her nipples, before proceeding to suck on them in earnest. If anything, Nick Stokes was a very oral man, and he wasn't keen on denying himself his lil' quirks once he felt he had a right to indulge in them.

Sofia threw her head back, moaning and whimpering, profoundly enjoying the attention Nick was paying to her nipples. But it wasn't enough. She needed more and went ahead to obtain it. She rubbed her pussy against Nick's almost fully-erect cock, and smiled when she felt him moan against her breasts. Taking him in her hands, she lifter her hips just enough to slide down his shaft once again, except this time around, the fit was perfect and they both moaned hard at the sensation of being joined again.

Soon, a rhythm was set. Sofia held unto his shoulders, slightly bouncing up and down, controlling the speed and depth of their lovemaking. Nick kept on lapping, kissing and sucking on her breasts, his hands splayed on her ass cheeks, fondling them in time with her movements. Soon, Sofia's movements and breathing became erratic and she began murmuring affirmations and deities and his name. His name. Nick felt himself grow harder upon hearing his name falling from her lips in an irreverent prayer of need. As Sofia began leaning more towards him, he began kissing her shoulders and neck, murmuring encouraging words; he was more than willing to withhold his pleasure until she had reached her orgasm.

His hands continued to fondle her ass as his right thumb began circling her rear entrance. "That's it, babe… let go… I want to feel you come around me… Sofia… come for me, baby… I want to make you feel good, sweetheart… I want you, baby… I need you… it's okay, love, come now… I love you Sofia… let me love you, honey…"

In the end, Sofia didn't know if it was the way his cock felt inside her pussy, his thumb gently penetrating her behind, or the fact that he had use the L-word. All she knew was that Nick Stokes had just brought her to a shattering orgasm, which she let him know by digging her nails on his shoulders and screaming his name breathlessly before slumping atop him.

Nick held her body in his arms, one hand gently running over her head, soothing her, all the while whispering sweet-nothings in her ear, allowing her to ride it out. The feel of her pussy contracting around his cock was maddening and he could feel his thigh muscles begin to tremble from the effort of keeping them immobile. He'd like nothing more than to start thrusting into her like there was no tomorrow, thrusting hard and fast until his own orgasm hit him full force, but he willed himself to sit still until she was done.

Sofia incorporated a bit, pressed an open mouthed kiss to his neck and whispered in his ear: "Table. Now."

He didn't have to be told twice. By sheer muscle power, and inflamed libido, he managed to get them both up from the chair; she still impaled on him, and take the 2 steps that separated them form the table. He placed her gently atop, pulling her hips towards him, trying his damned best not to slip out of her warm pussy. He slid his arm underneath her leg and lifted it up enough to place it over his shoulder. He looked up at her face, just to see her grayish-blue eyes looking straight at him.

"Is this okay?" he asked, worried he had, once again, misinterpreted the situation.

"Perfect," she purred, running her hands up and down his forearms, the only part of his anatomy she could reach given her position. "Please, Nick…"

"Please… what?" He was hoping he knew what she meant, but he needed to hear her say it.

"Please… fuck me now."

And so he did. How could he deny her anything? He held unto her hips and began thrusting into her, establishing a strong hard rhythm that soon had her whimpering again and him grasping for what little control he could muster.

It was her turn to murmur encouraging words, holding unto his forearms for dear life, having slid her right leg off the table and placing her foot on the chair to her right for support. "Don't hold back, Nick… don't hold back…" she repeated over and over again, feeling her own orgasm building strong and wanting him to find his release as well.

Despite her urgings, that's what he was doing. Holding back. Every single cell of his body claimed for release, but he was adamant on bringing her to another orgasm before giving in to his urges. It was proving to be more and more difficult and his thrusting became more forceful and erratic, and yet he stubbornly stood his ground. Her "God, Nick, I love you" moaned as her pussy began clenching around him became his undoing and three thrusts later his own orgasm hit him full force.

He wearily slid her leg down and took a step back from the table, slumping on the chair instead of doing so on top of her. His whole body protested the loss of contact and he leaned forward to rest his forehead on her thigh. He felt her go limp as she barely managed to raise her left foot onto his lap. He raised his face enough to place a kiss on her inner thigh. And then he thought he would rest using her thigh as his pillow, placing his head on it, face turned towards her body.

As he did so, he was greeted by a sight that made his knees grow weak and his mouth go dry. Even his cock twitched in anticipation. There, mere inches away form his face, lay her pussy, open and exposed, glistening from their lovemaking, both their juices flowing freely. Nick thought that if she had tasted great smeared over her nipples she would taste even better at her very source, and although he wasn't a great fan of his own taste, he rationalized the mix had great potential. He closed his eyes and sighed, wondering what she'd would think if he… if he….

Temptation overthrew rationale. Pulling the chair with him as he leaned forward, he gave a tentative lick to her pussy. Her breathy "Oh God!" was all the encouragement he needed, and using both hands to expose her fully open, he began to lap and lick in earnest and quickly found out that he just couldn't get enough of it. Placing his open mouth over her exposed labia, he began to gently suck her, dizzy with the assault on his senses, fully aware of his cock growing harder and harder with each passing second.

Sofia tried to control herself, but the physical sensation overpowered her, and there was little she could do to stop her hips from buckling and thrashing. She held unto the table's edge for balance, her knuckles white with the effort, her legs dangling to the sides. Nick Stokes was going to be the death of her and damn if she wasn't going to die an immensely happy woman!

Her third orgasm hit her harder than the previous two, lifting her entire body from the table, and her near-shriek of his name startled them both. Nick moved back, and Sofia curled into fetal position, sobbing hard, breathing even harder, her whole body trembling from exertion, pleasure and desire. She had had her share of lovers in the past, but this… this was completely new and it scared her to no end.

Nick was scared as well, and was, once more, mentally kicking himself. Him and his stupid ideas! He jumped from the chair he was sitting in and quickly gathered her body in his arms.

"Sofia, Sofia, baby…. I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…please baby, look at me, look at me…"

Sofia held unto his shoulders for a moment, and then held his face in her hands, kissing him all over. "Love you… love you… love you…" she chanted endlessly.

He raised his hands to still her face and rested his forehead in hers, brushing away the tears with his thumbs. "Don't cry… please love, don't cry…" he pleaded.

"I'm so… happy… and it was… so… so intense… and I … this never… not like this… and God I need you so much…. I'm so scared…"

"Shh, baby… it's okay… it's okay… I love you, Sofia…. I need you…. I'm not going anywhere as long as you're here…"

They spent a long time there, just kissing and reassuring each other. After a while, when darkness began to creep into the kitchen, Nick lifted her in his arms and carried her to her bedroom, placing her on the bed. Crawling behind her, he held her tight against him, allowing sleep to take them over.

Tomorrow. They'll worry about everything else tomorrow. Tonight was theirs and he intended to keep everything else away while it lasted.

Xxx XXX xxX

**A/N: **If anyone ever tells you that writing smut is a piece of cake... that person has never written any. Man,. this stuff is hard (no pun intended)!


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